D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday parents should stay atop their children’s required vaccinations and routine checkups during the coronavirus pandemic, even as the city plans for an all-virtual start for public schools in the fall.
Bowser, speaking during a press conference to give an update on the city response to the ongoing pandemic, said maintaining students’ health is vital in keeping others safe as well.
“As we continue through this public health emergency, it continues to be important that children visit with their pediatricians,” the mayor said. “These appointments are important for tracking growth and development, discussing concerns about your child’s health and ensuring your child is up to date on vaccinations.
“Even though the first day of school will look different, we still need to make sure that children are getting vaccinated to keep children healthy and also to protect vulnerable members of our community,” Bowser said.
All D.C. Public Schools students in pre-K through 12th grade will conduct studies remotely for the first term from Aug. 31 – Nov. 6.
Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday during an appearance on Fox News that the Trump administration believes that in-person learning can resume “in a way that’s safe and sensible, under most circumstances.”
“There are tools that you can use – very simple interventions, if you put your mind to it – that you can get the kids back so that they’re safe, so that teachers are safe,” Azar said, CNN reported.
